


like a moth to a flame

by SyverneSien



Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dianitee!Jordan, Fluff, Foxes, Happy Ending, Ianitee!Tom, Jordan and Tom decide to switch gods, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, One Shot, Realm of Mianite, The Nether (Minecraft)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:55:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25864723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SyverneSien/pseuds/SyverneSien
Summary: ...except jordan is smarter than a moth and the flame is the literal god of chaos.Tom decides that Dianite is no longer for him and tells Jordan that he plans to join Ianite for real. Jordan struggles with what he has to do, but eventually, he realizes that his place in the Isles lies with chaos, not balance.
Relationships: Jordan Maron/Lord Dianite (Mianite)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 40





	like a moth to a flame

“I want to join Team Ianite. For real, this time,” Tom declared firmly.

Jordan froze. “You can’t be serious,” he replied, aghast. Behind his sunglasses, Jordan’s eyes were wide.

Tom shrugged. “Why not?” He leaned back in his chair, the blue glow from the soulfire lantern causing his green skin to look odd.

Jordan knew that Tom had brought him to Dine at Night to discuss something serious, but he hadn’t been expecting  _ this. _ “Because you’re a Dianitee. You’ve  _ always _ been a Dianitee,” Jordan objected. They’d had this conversation before when Tom had been (moderately unsuccessfully) undercover as an Ianitee.

“People change!” Tom insisted. “The gods change, too. This world’s Dianite is great and all, but…” Tom scratched the back of his head, “...he’s not really what I’m looking for.” The zombie rested his elbows on the table, making Jordan want to snap at him about his manners, and placed his head in his hands. Tom added quietly, “And maybe I don’t want to be the ‘bad guy’ anymore.”

There was a small whisper in the back of Jordan’s mind that reminded him that Tom hadn’t been a bad follower of Ianite when he was faking and that he’d be even better if he truly devoted himself. And Ianite liked him well enough. Jordan’s grip on the edge of the table tightened. “Well, you can’t have  _ my _ goddess,” he muttered. “Go make this Mianite and Karl’s problem. You think that I would just accept you after you lied-”

Tom looked at him almost pityingly. “Sorry, Jordan, but… it’s not really your call,” he interrupted. “I thought I was being nice by giving you a heads-up. I’m planning to contact Ianite and Dianite at sunset, to see if Ianite will have me and make it official if she does.” Tom pushed back from the table and stood, adjusting his black coat as he went. “Feel free to stop by if you still don’t believe that I’m serious.”

“I will. Your temple, I assume?” Jordan asked, fighting to keep the anger out of his voice. He was furious. How dare Tom think that Jordan would fall for the same trick twice? Or that Jordan would allow a clear Dianitee to masquerade as a follower of Ianite?

Tom nodded. “Don’t be late, I won’t wait for you,” the zombie replied. He hesitated as he went to walk away. “Please don’t take it personally, Jordan. I’m not trying to hurt or betray you, I swear. Things change.” Tom moved to touch Jordan’s shoulder, but Jordan flinched away and Tom looked disappointed.

_ “You _ don’t,” Jordan growled under his breath.  _ He’ll never really be an Ianitee, _ he thought sourly as he watched Tom leave the restaurant.  _ He’s too chaotic. _ But he still couldn’t forget how warm Ianite had been towards Tom. Did she like Tom’s version of balance more than his?

It was impossible. Jordan had always been an Ianitee, in three consecutive worlds and counting. Tom had always been a Dianitee. That wasn’t supposed to  _ change. _ And it would leave Dianite without a champion - what would the god of chaos do then? Mianite had been forced to take Karl as a champion due to the lack of a proper follower of order, which had ended up working out. But there wasn’t anybody else. No free hero for Dianite to claim. By joining the side of balance, Tom would unbalance things. Jordan huffed.  _ Ironic. _

When Jordan left the restaurant, the midday sun was beating down on the mesa. This biome was always hot and humid; there was a reason why Jordan had built the Dianite-themed restaurant on the orange sand. A slice of Nether in the Overworld, almost. Jordan was grateful for his sunglasses, and his loose white shirt, and his red-and-white coat that reflected heat better than his old black one. Jordan rolled up his sleeves. Huh. The new coat was something that he’d washed up with on the Isles, familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. The rest was the same as in the other worlds. Perhaps Ianite had been looking upon him with favour and granted him the coat to better deal with the scorching sands of the islands. Tom’s words echoed in Jordan’s ears.  _ Things change. _ Yeah. Coats, not people.  _ Leopards can’t change their spots, Tom. _

* * *

Jordan found himself in front of Ianite’s throne in his battle tower, sitting on his knees. He’d wandered up there absentmindedly, the tug of his goddess drawing his subconscious. Jordan sighed, catching a glimpse of a white fox tail disappearing behind the throne. 

_ Balance. _ For as long as he could remember, he’d been the upholder of balance. Retaliating only when provoked, solving quarrels between his friends, aiding whichever side needed help to keep neither side from getting too strong. Ianite had always been there, the otherworldly representation of his moral standpoint, but on the islands she was… different. More active, more willing to take initiative, more  _ emotional. _ As much as he hated to admit it… more like Tom.

On the topic of Tom, Jordan’s mind wandered to Dianite. The chaos god had always been pursuing Jordan as a follower - in every world, it was consistent. But in both past worlds, Dianite had been more of a monstrous god, hellbent on the destructive and sadistic side of chaos. He, again, was different on the Isles. Milder. Causing chaos only when order became too strong. Willing to help anyone for a price.  _ Almost like me, _ Jordan’s mind whispered, but he pushed the thought away. Sometimes Dianite would just show up and chat with Jordan, trading pleasantries and small talk. Jordan wouldn’t consider them friends, but maybe… acquaintances.

Jordan dug his nails into his arm just as a fox appeared in front of him, snow-white fur gleaming in the sunlight. He forced a smile onto his face and reached out as if he were going to stroke the fox’s head. “Hi there-” Jordan started, but he stopped and jerked his hand back as the fox snapped at his hand with its jaws. “Hey!”

“Not her champion!” the fox declared, its voice high and squeaky. “Not Ianite! Smell bad!” It darted up to sit on Ianite’s throne, ears perked.

Jordan groaned. “Is this your new thing? Instead of calling me a simp or trying to cook me?” he asked. “What’s next?” Jordan sat back, moving to cross his legs instead of sitting on his knees.

The fox returned slowly, sniffing. It licked the hem of Jordan’s coat and recoiled, but didn’t run away. “Red,” it identified. Then it looked up at Jordan’s face. “Red,” it said again.

“You mean my sunglasses?” Jordan reached up to remove them from his face and look at them. The fox tried to paw them out of his hands, but he held on. “Are you trying to tell me something or are you just messing with me?” He sighed.

“Captain is  _ red,” _ the fox insisted as if it made perfect sense. Jordan’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Go away, Red Captain.” The fox growled and bit his arm.

“Ow, fine, okay, I’m going,” Jordan muttered, wincing as he got to his feet. He glanced forlornly at the throne. He was going to pray, but now he’d have to go to the temple. “You suck and I hate you.”

The glare that the fox gave him assured Jordan that the feeling was mutual.

* * *

Jordan intended to go to Ianite’s temple, but on his way down, he passed his portal to the Nether and paused. Something was tugging him towards it.  _ Oh, right, I meant to… _ Jordan hesitated. He’d been meaning to do something in the Nether, but he couldn’t remember what. That had to be why he was feeling so drawn to it. Jordan glanced out the window at the ocean. It could wait. He’d see Ianite at sunset. There was no need to bother her.

After a brief stop on the first floor to pick up a golden helmet, Jordan found himself standing in front of the portal again. The fluid-like sheet of purple shimmered as Jordan stepped towards it, whooshing sound growing louder, and something in the back of Jordan’s mind started to buzz. He ignored it and plunged through the portal, the sudden blast of heat making him inhale sharply.

_ It’s odd, _ Jordan thought as he descended past a flowing lava river towards where he had last been mining for netherite,  _ how Tom follows Dianite and yet spends so little time in Dianite’s realm. _ Jordan, on the other hand, sometimes wasted away entire days blasting through the netherrack in search of ancient debris, absentmindedly chirping back snippy responses at the odd Piglin that disturbed him, fording lava and clearing out fortresses and bastions without a worry. He knew that he had a bias towards chaos - he’d almost joined Dianite in the first world, before being called by Ianite - which he assumed was the reason why his only qualm with the Nether was just that it was humid almost to the point of suffocating. Even the Hoglins didn’t bother him much anymore.

It also had the bonus of being relatively dark in comparison to the Overworld.

Jordan pushed his sunglasses up onto his forehead and wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. There was something very satisfying about watching the beds explode and blast holes in the rock, even (or especially) with the fear-fueled adrenaline rush that came with having to jump back in time. Perhaps it wasn’t very Ianite of him, but he wasn’t hurting anybody. It was fine to lean into his bias a little bit.

Ancient debris was littering Jordan’s inventory by the time he crawled out of his new tunnel, his internal clock and stomach telling him within seconds of each other that it was time for dinner. Jordan picked a spot to sit on the edge of a cliff in a warped forest overlooking a lava lake, able to catch a glimpse of a soul sand valley on the far side. He’d brought along chicken and bread to make sandwiches and he leaned back against a huge warped fungus, taking in the scenery while he ate. It was rather beautiful, and if it weren’t for the heat, Jordan would consider setting up some sort of Nether outpost. The Nether felt more alive than it ever had been, humming and pulsing with magic and energy, filled with new plants and creatures that Jordan hadn’t seen in any other world. Now that he thought about it while looking around at the vibrant Nether… this Dianite’s interest in flowers made a lot more sense.

The garbled speech of an Enderman interrupted Jordan’s thoughts and he glanced over his shoulder absentmindedly. Endermen never attacked him, even when he looked them in the eyes. In fact, they often spoke to him. But this one sounded angry. Unusually angry. And Jordan couldn’t make out a word.

Jordan leapt to his feet and drew his sword, overly conscious of the long drop into lava just behind him. His sword was made of netherite, along with the rest of his equipment, and he loved the rare metal. First, he was the only one that had it, so it set him apart from the others. Second, it was stronger and more durable. Third, it was lighter than diamonds, which made it easier to wield. Jordan didn’t think that he would ever be able to go back to a diamond sword even if he wanted to (which he didn’t).

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he murmured to the Enderman, letting his sword arm hang by his side. “I am Ianite’s champion. My realm is your realm. My goddess is your goddess. Please grant me safe passage, spirit of the End.” For the first time, Jordan stumbled over the customary words. They tasted almost foul in his mouth.  _ What’s happening to me? _

The Enderman considered him for a moment, then it started to shake. It dropped its jaw and howled at Jordan, signalling to him that it was going to attack.

Jordan cursed under his breath, shifted his grip on the netherite sword, and swiftly sliced the Enderman in half. He knelt where it had stood and whispered, “I’m sorry, friend. May Ianite bless your journey back to the End.” He believed that slain Endermen eventually reformed in the End. Nothing ever stayed dead - that was something he had learned a long time ago. Skeletons, zombies, spiders, ghasts… all of them came back eventually. Even the Ender Dragon could be rejuvenated.

There was a sinking feeling in the pit of Jordan’s stomach as he slowly meandered back to his portal. Something was wrong. For how long had things been wrong? He tried to tug on the string attached to his heart, the invisible bond that connected him to Ianite, and found it unresponsive. Almost like it was breaking. Jordan cursed himself. He should have noticed. He was too used to being alone. Was it his fault? Had his lack of communication with his goddess strained their bond? Or was it somehow Tom’s, from his spat as an Ianitee and now ‘serious’ desire to switch properly?

Jordan plunged through the portal, his mind steeled. He was going to meet Ianite at Tom’s temple and re-swear himself to her, strengthen their bond and make sure that he was her one true champion, no matter what Tom wanted to play at. He was an Ianitee. He had  _ always _ been an Ianitee. They were meant for each other. This was how things were supposed to be.

_ Then why does it feel wrong? _

Disembodied voices and snippets of thoughts started to weave together in Jordan’s mind as he climbed his tower.

_ “Captain is  _ red _.” _

The fox was just messing with him. Joking around.

_ “People change! The gods change, too.” _

Jordan didn’t like it. He didn’t want to admit it. He’d sworn himself to Ianite, he couldn’t just back away from that.

_ Ironic. _

Dianite needed a champion. Jordan believed in balance, almost more than he believed in Ianite herself. Having one god with two followers and one with none was something he couldn’t allow.

_ “I am Ianite’s champion.” _

No longer alone. No longer her one supporter. Tom was ruining  _ everything. _

_ Almost like me. _

By the time Jordan jumped off the top of his tower and unfurled his elytra, he knew what he had to do.

* * *

The sun had already partially dipped below the horizon and Jordan feared that he would be too late. Nimbly, he folded his elytra in and shot into the mouth of the skull, flying straight towards where he knew Tom was meeting Ianite and Dianite - in the large stone cavern where Tom kept his Nether portal. He could sense the gods’ presences already, one gently pulsating and the other sporadically spiking. Jordan landed at the top of the stairs, unstrapping his elytra and looking down at where he could see Tom standing in front of Ianite and Dianite. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he noticed when Ianite looked up at him, her eyes widening.

Jordan charged down the stairs, his face serious. “Wait,” he demanded, jumping down the last few steps and moving to join Tom and the two gods. “I have something to say.”

“You can’t stop me, Jordan,” Tom interjected before Jordan could continue. “We’re going to be Team Ianite bros whether you like it or not.” The half-smile on Tom’s face showed that he was joking around, but still understood the severity of the situation.

Jordan shook his head and slowly walked to stand in front of Dianite. “No, we’re not,” he corrected. Jordan glanced at Ianite, then turned his focus to Dianite. “I want to take Tom’s place…” Jordan met the chaos god’s eyes, “...as Dianite’s champion.” The one unbroken thread that was tying him to Ianite suddenly pulled taut in his heart and he fought to keep his expression confident.

Jordan watched Dianite’s expression change from curiosity to shock. He refused to look at Ianite and Tom, not wanting to see the betrayal that was inevitably painted on the balance goddess’ face, not wanting to see the disbelief and surprise on Tom’s.

“My ch-  _ Captain _ ,” Ianite started, her voice firm. “If you think that you have to do this because Zombie Boy has decided to follow me-”

“I don’t,” Jordan answered smoothly. “Karl would have been a follower of Dianite in the other worlds, but here he is Mianite’s champion. The Isles change things. I’ve been changing since I arrived.” He looked over at Tom. “I imagine that Tom has as well.” Jordan took a deep breath. “With all due respect, my lady, I can’t be your champion anymore. Not here.”

“I… I understand,” Ianite murmured. Jordan finally shifted his gaze to her and saw that she looked downcast and resigned. “Dia… take care of the captain, please.” Jordan felt a pang of sadness, but he knew that this was the right thing to do. He knew that he would be happier with Dianite. In the next world, he would return to his lady and everything would be well, but on the islands… this was how it should be.

“Of course.” Dianite’s voice was low and almost awestruck, like a child that had just received the toy they had always wanted. “Captain, if you truly believe that joining me is what you want to do, I will stand by you as long as we both live.”

Jordan gave Dianite a curt nod. “What do I have to do?” he asked simply.

It was Tom who answered, to Jordan’s surprise. “Our former gods have to remove our old bonds, and then we swear ourselves to our new ones,” he explained. “We were discussing it before you arrived.” Jordan was glad that Tom didn’t seem to be having a strong reaction to Jordan’s decision. He felt bad about getting angry when Tom confided in him earlier that day.

“Captain, I think that Zombie Boy should go first, in the interest of fairness,” Ianite said. “It would be nice to do it at the same time, but unfortunately, I think that would have disastrous consequences.” Ianite paused. “Captain, please step back.”

Jordan did as he was told, wondering if it was the last time he would ever follow an order given to him by Ianite. He watched as Dianite changed places with Ianite and bid Tom kneel, and Jordan realized that his hands were shaking.

Dianite placed one hand on Tom’s head. “Thomas, do you wish to renounce your title as the Knight of Chaos and Dianite’s champion?” he questioned slowly.

“I do,” Tom answered.

Dianite paused. “Then I, Lord Dianite, god of chaos and lord of the Nether, hereby release you from my service. You are no longer bound to me and are free to follow a new deity,” Jordan noticed Dianite glance sideways at Ianite, “if you so choose.”

For a moment, Tom looked confused, as if he had been expecting something to happen and it didn’t. Then Tom groaned and doubled over, his chest heaving. Jordan wanted to rush to him, but he knew he couldn’t help.

“Quickly,” Ianite urged, almost pushing Dianite out of the way, “before he can no longer speak.” Ianite placed her hands on Tom’s shoulders and closed her eyes. Jordan noticed something bright dripping out of Tom’s mouth and realized that it was lava. Breaking his bond with Dianite was literally burning him alive from the inside. “Thomas, look at me.”

Tom slowly lifted his head and Jordan watched the slow drips of lava onto the stone floor speed up until the pattering was a racing heartbeat.

“Do you swear to follow Lady Ianite? Do you promise to uphold balance with your life, if you must? Do you believe that this is what you are meant to do and acknowledge that for the rest of your life in this world, you cannot go back?” Ianite’s words were fast, laced with urgency.

“I do,” Tom answered again, but his voice was tense and he was clearly pained.

“Then I, Lady Ianite, goddess of balance and lady of the End, swear you to my service and accept you as my new champion. You are bound by this vow in life and in death and balance shall dictate your actions from this moment on.” As Ianite spoke the last word and bent down to gently kiss Tom’s forehead, the dripping stopped and Jordan watched Tom’s entire body tense. “Rise, Thomas, champion of Ianite.”

And Jordan’s bond  _ snapped. _

It felt like being torn apart from the inside, like his two trips through the void but a million times worse, every atom being ripped apart from the others. Jordan collapsed to his knees and knew that he must have cried out, but he couldn’t hear anything other than the monstrous roar of the Ender Dragon in his ears. Terror rushed through his body - he didn’t know how it was possible, but the spirit of the Ender Dragon was going to eat him and inflict the pain that Jordan had dealt to it in three different worlds in an act of cold revenge.

Then somebody’s warm hands cupped Jordan’s face and drove back the cold of the void and the End and his fear and Jordan managed to pull himself back into the cavern.

“Breathe, please,” Dianite murmured, just inches from Jordan’s face. “You know the vow. Just say ‘I do’, Captain, and then I can help you.” The god of chaos was looking down at him with such sincerity, such adoration, and Jordan knew that he had made the right choice.

“I-I do,” Jordan stammered, his entire body shivering, though the heat emanating from Dianite was trying to fight off the chill.

Dianite spoke solemnly. “I, Lord Dianite, god of chaos and lord of the Nether, therefore swear you to my service and accept you as my new champion. You are bound by this vow in life and in death and  _ chaos _ shall dictate your actions from this moment on.” Jordan’s breath caught in his throat as Dianite tilted his head up, sealing the deal with a light kiss on Jordan’s lips. Heat rushed through Jordan’s body and he sighed in relief, feeling a new string wind its way around his heart and properly connect him to Dianite, unfamiliar and warm but welcomed. “Rise, Jordan, champion of Dianite.”

And Jordan rose, new power thrumming through his veins, finally having given in to the temptation of chaos and revelling in it. Dianite was gazing at him with an odd expression on his face as if he still couldn’t believe that Jordan had decided to become his.

“Captain,” Dianite breathed. “ _ My _ captain.”

“My lord,” Jordan responded, inclining his head slightly to the god.

“Get a room!” Tom exclaimed, grinning, and the moment was officially ruined. Ianite looked as if she were stifling a giggle with her hand and Jordan caught a glimpse of Dianite’s cheeks burning bright red before Dianite turned away.

“Look, I’m taking this seriously, Tom, and my temple is going to be way nicer than yours,” Jordan shot back playfully. “It’s going to be in the Nether and it’s going to have a  _ garden _ .” Jordan almost laughed at the tiny gasp Dianite made when he said so.

“Ah, hey, wait, no, mine’s going to be way fancier than yours! Obsidian and end stone, in the End!” Tom objected. “With… with… with a  _ fountain. _ And- and a dragon statue!” Tom stuck out his tongue. “So there!”

“Boys, calm down-” Ianite tried, but Dianite gently shushed her.

“Let them. They’re having fun,” Dianite murmured. “Perhaps we could turn this into a proper competition and let Mia and the caveman judge the results.”

Tom’s gaze was challenging as he turned back to Jordan. Jordan cocked an eyebrow.

“Ten diamonds entry fee,” Tom suggested.

“Twenty,” Jordan replied. “Winner takes all.” He’d spent enough time in the Nether to be confident in his skill with those materials. And if Tom was trying to build a dragon… well, Tom’s skull build spoke for itself.

“Deal,” Tom declared.

* * *

Jordan stepped back, admiring his temple. He’d pushed himself to try to base his structure off of the constructs that already existed in the Nether and was happy with what he’d come up with. Between the walls of the temple and the fence he’d placed to outline the plot was the garden that he had promised to Dianite and he hoped the god was happy with it.

As if Dianite had been summoned by his thoughts, Jordan felt a tug on his bond as the chaos god -  _ his _ god, now - materialized at the gate.

Jordan didn’t look back, just continued to watch the reflections of lava in the stained glass windows, and he hummed to himself as he felt a hand slip into his and Dianite move to stand by his side.

“It’s very well done,” Dianite commented quietly. “The garden is a wonderful touch. I expect that I will spend a lot of time here.”

Jordan’s heart swelled. “Thank you, m’lord,” he murmured. He shifted his grip on his coat, which was slung over his free arm. He’d finally given in to the heat about an hour earlier and removed the extra layer.

“Even if you don’t win, I shall have to give you something special in return for this,” Dianite said. “What would you like, my champion?” Jordan looked over at Dianite, the chaos god smiling gently at him.

Jordan paused. “Er… I can’t think of anything right now,” Jordan admitted. “There isn’t much that I need.”

“Love?” Dianite questioned.

“What?” Jordan’s brow furrowed, confused. “Are you seriously offering me-”

“Yes.” There was a short pause in the conversation. “I am not good at romance.” Dianite sighed.

“I don’t think just a temple is worthy of that,” Jordan replied.

Dianite hummed. “I suppose you’re right. A date, then? At Dine at Night?” the god suggested, squeezing his hand.

Jordan smiled. “I’d accept that. Just… no potato salad. Or lobster, for that matter.”

The chaos god laughed and leaned over to kiss Jordan on the cheek. “It shall be arranged,” Dianite promised. “Good luck with the competition, Captain.”

Dianite went to leave and Jordan pulled him back, their hands still connected. “You can call me Jordan, you know,” Jordan told him.

“Jordan,” Dianite murmured, as if he were trying it out. Then he smiled. “Very well, then. Good luck, Jordan.” He let go of Jordan’s hand and started towards the gate.

Jordan hesitated, turning to watch Dianite leave, then called out, “Wait… can I walk you to wherever you’re going?”

Dianite chuckled. “Maybe one day. For now… I am still a god, and I have a reputation to uphold and secrets to protect.” He lifted his hand and waved. “Au revoir.”

Jordan waved back as his god vanished into thin air. Then he turned back to the temple. He had an idea - a surprise for Dianite that he could add before the judging. Tossing his coat out of the way and pushing up his sunglasses, the captain of chaos got back to work.

**Author's Note:**

> i have no idea where this came from  
> hope you enjoyed :D  
> shout out to the nerf house <3


End file.
